While MSU students were enjoying their spring break, two Spartan athletes were busy becoming All-Americans.

Senior Paul Terek and sophomore Steve Sherer competed in the 2002 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., last weekend.

For Terek, this was the second year in a row he took home All-America honors for the pole vault. He placed second this year, an improvement on last year’s eighth place finish.

Terek, who was the 2001 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of Year, said he still wants to improve on his performance.

“I’m happy with second place,” he said. “But I’m mad because I had (first) in my hands.”

Five vaulters cleared a height of 17-11.75, but BYU’s Jeff Hansen tool first because he had fewer misses on earlier attempts.

Terek said he looks forward to starting the outdoor season, where he finished fourth in the decathlon at the 2001 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Sherer placed eighth out of 15 runners in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:01.48. The NCAA awards All-America honors to those who finish in the top eight of their event.

“I got to line up with a lot of the top athletes in the country - it was special,” Sherer said after his first indoor championship.

He said he didn’t know what to expect going into the race, and was disappointed by his performance, but said he learned a lot for the upcoming season.

The MSU men’s track and field team starts the 2002 outdoor season March 23-24 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.